This was a fun commission that I recently finished…a cute Tabby cat for a Godfather statue. This wool sculpture replaced a plastic one and is more realistic. The legs and tail are poseable to add to the fun.

I felted on all of the Tabby stripes one by one. The whiskers are made from hair and the eyes are a glowing golden.

This sculpture is about 7 inches long. There are cute paw pads and is initialed and dated. Cats are a challenge as I don’t make them very often. The owner of the Godfather statue was thrilled to have this cute cat for his sculpture. Thanks for stopping by!

Sometimes I don’t have a nose made in the right size so I use a premade nose. I felted this Pomeranian and added a premade nose. Very handy with cute details. Available in assorted sizes. They have 2 cute nostrils and a crease down the center. I cut the back leg off the nose and just glue it on the flat back. I like to use Krazy glue “color change”. It brushes on purple and dries clear. You can see if you get any extra on a spot that you don’t want. I dab it off with the pointy cotton swabs that have a stiff pointy tip. This is what the noses look like.

They even come in pink and red. Aren’t they adorable? Here is the link to see more info or purchase.

Have you ever seen a Neopolitan Mastiff? They have so many wrinkles that gives their face a unique character! I had to make each wrinkle separately and felt them on one by one. It took quite a while but the owner is happy with the result so it was worth it! This was a Memorial sculpture of a Neopolitan Mastiff named Kalea. I also made a miniature chain collar for her. She has Imported glass eyes and is poseable! Yes this was a challenge but I learned lot and it was fun!

GOOD NEWS! My favorite eye supplier for my felted sculptures now has New Glass eyes on convenient wire pins! The wire is cut already so you don’t have to bother with any cutting. The wire pin length ranges from approximately 6mm (approx. 1/4 inch) to 12mm (approx. 1/2 inch) Colors: Solid Black, Clear, Blue, Green, or Dark Amber.

People are always asking me what size eyes do I use in my sculptures. Generally, I use the same size eye as the inches in height measured to the top of the head. So I use 2 mm eyes in 2 inch, 3 mm in a 3 inch, 4 mm in 4 inch, 5 mm in a 5 inch, etc.

Of course some breeds have larger eyes like a Shih Tzu or smaller eyes like Chow Chow or Samoyed…see photos.

It’s good to have several sizes, so you can see how they look. Poke a hole in the head where you want to insert the eyes and the short wire will keep them in place. Check that the SIZE is right. Be sure to check that they line up before gluing. More on eye placement in this post.

I was recently asked if I felted other animals besides cats and dogs! YES!!I do! Here is a Custom Shetland Pony that I just finished. Since I usually felt dogs or cats, it was fun to make an animal for something different. This pony was named Sydney and she had a nice round belly.

This Sculpture was made from photos of someone’s favorite squirrel named Ms. Webster who visits her house every day! Each handmade art sculpture is brimming with personality.

It was interesting to note that gray squirrels have NO gray fur on them! They are covered with black and white hairs that our EYES blend together to make gray. They are really an optical illusion! LOL! It took me two hours just to blend and layer the fur together to make the tail!. Ms. Webster is holding a needle felted peanut… her favorite treat!

This is an adorable English budgie or parakeet named Chirpie. She is a sky blue pied Parakeet. It is a challenge to get wool to look like feathers but I tried! This cute parakeet was made for someone who was allergic to birds! She put it in a cage that she had and gave her some birdseed! Next best thing right?
She has poseable feet for gripping and sculpted nostrils and beak. This is a Full sized parakeet!

So here are a few of my felted animals. I have made more interesting animals like a Prairie Dog, Guinea Pig, wolves, foxes, a baby swan, penguin, etc. To see more please visit!

I was recently asked why I took up needle felting and I thought about that question for a while. I have always LOVED dogs and have made hundreds of drawings of them. Then I saw a needle felted bear and thought “how cool is that? I can do that!!” So I got a felting needle at a local craft store and couldn’t find any wool to felt! This was 8 years ago so needle felting supplies were hard to find back then! I decided to pull apart some wool yarn and felted a Pomeranian out of it!

Why a Pomeranian? I think that they are one of the sweetest dogs and I love dogs with long fur. So I taught my self to needle felt. I also make them poseable as I thought that would make them more fun!

So back to the question….WHY do I needle felt?

I love capturing the spirit of a dog and try hard to show that “certain look” in my sculptures faces. Also I am so glad that I can create a Special Memorial Sculpture that a person can treasure always. Sometimes I even add a bit of fur to make it extra special.

Here is a Memorial Sculpture of a French Bulldog named Lulu. She was a surprise gift and it truly touched the hearts of the receiver. I am so happy that I can bring joy into a person’s life with a little replica of their dog and I am honored when I am asked to do so. Here is the 5 star review that I received on this sculpture. It really made my day!! I wish that I could have seen her open the box!

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REVIEW ON FRENCH BULLDOG

“I ordered this as a gift for my friend’s birthday. Her and her dog are born the same day. What I want to say is a quote from my friend when it arrived to her door, ” Never in my years of living has a gift touched not only me but my entire family. We all cried, this is a perfect replica of my baby and I’ll never forget you for this!”

So not only was my gift a HIT (to say the least) but working with Gerry was effortless and she filled the experience by caring about this as if it was the only order she ever filled. It was all together a wonderful Experience and I highly recommend a felted miniature for anyone you know that has a beloved animal companion.”

I rarely break a needle. Maybe one every 3 months or so. The number one cause of needle breaking is SIDEWAYS PRESSURE!! If you go in at an angle and don’t come out at the same angle, it creates pressure on one side and SNAP! Always go in and out the same way WITHOUT moving the needle to one side or another. Felting needles are hardened steel that are very brittle.

Another way to break needles is trying to move the wool over a little with the tip of the needle. DON’T do it! Use a broken needle or a pin instead of your felting needle when you want to move your wool over to the side a little.

Another way to break a needle is using a wire armature and hitting it too hard. When you are felting into a sculpture with a wire armature in it, you have to back off slightly as soon as the tip of your needle hits the wire. Try to felt along one side of the wire and then the other. Be gentle when you are putting on the first layer of wool around the wire.

Another way that you can break a needle doesn’t even make sense, but it’s happened to me more than once! Sticking the needle into the foam too hard when you set it down. Also if you tap the needle on the side while it is in the foam then SNAP! Just did that a couple a days ago. Don’t you just hate that!? I’ve broken the most needles this way believe it or not!!

This is my latest Needle Felted Sculpture checking out Spring flowers. This sculpture is 9 inches long with lovely silky fur trimmed into a puppy cut. One of her legs is as large as the Body of my regular size sculptures. It took many, many hours to root all of her fur in and lots of fiber. She is a Memorial to an adorable Maltese named Bonnie.I love how her fur glows in the sunshine! It is so sift and fluffy!

I had a question about felting with polyfill. My friend is allergic to wool and unsure about other animal fibres and we were told he could use polyfill

Are there any tricks to using it ? How smooth/finished will it come out with the synthetic, compared to traditional wool?

ANSWER:

When I started needle felting I used polyfill for my core bases. It felts well except for the kind that is in flat sheets and is used for a quilt. The fibers were too short to felt together at all. Then I would use any of the vegan fibers available for fur. The final look would be the same as using all animal products. Sometimes I use vegan fibers for people who are allergic and request it.

Some people have used polyfill and foam for the inside of a really large piece. This would save on wool which is more expensive than polyfill or foam. I recycle the softer foam that you get in packages in the mail to felt on.

I rarely use “traditional wool” which is usually merino for my sculptures. It is very fine and takes much longer to felt firmly. It is good for a smooth surface like skin. If you use a fine felting needle like a #40 or #42 then the holes are smaller as the needles are thinner. I like to use a coarse wool for my bases as the wool felts faster and is much stronger.
Thanks for your great question! Happy Felting!
~Gerry

Here is a fluffy Siberian long furred Silver tabby cat that I felted using #36 and #38 star felting needles.

Question: I recently received this question. When do you know it is time to go to the next size needle?

Answer:

That is a really good question! If you have felted something to the point that the needle doesn’t do anything anymore, then a finer needle is needed. The finer needles are the higher numbers. A #38 star needle is good as it has an extra row of barbs which grab the wool better.

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Question: What is the best size felting needle to use?

I think that there are no hard rules on this. My favorite is a #36 needle. Years ago when I started needle felting all that was easily available were #36 coarse needles. So that is what I used for two years and everything was fine. I always use a #36 needle. I use coarse wool for the core as it felts fast and provides a firm base to felt fur into. The coarse #36 needle is great for this. I also use a #38 medium star needle. This needle usually costs a little more but it is really worth it. I use this needle for face detailing as it is a shorter needle which gives more control for the little area of the face.

Fine needles #40 or #42

Once in a while I do use fine needles if I am using fine wool for a very smooth surface layer like skin. The thinner needles make smaller holes. If you use a #36 coarse needle the holes would be much larger on a fine wool like merino.

So all in all I really do believe that felting needle size is a personal choice and depends on the fiber that you use, how firm that you want to felt it and what you like best.

This is such a lovely poem on Needle Felting, that I just had to post this again! This was from a givaway asking the question…what do you like about needle felting! I’m sure that we all can relate to this! Congratulations Cindy! Thank you for the lovely poem!

Please let me know which wool that you would like as a thank you. Just go to my Etsy shop and pick one out!

I sit here in my quiet space
Putting aside the day I’ve faced
Eagerly pulling my basket out
This is MY moment without a doubt.

So soft, the fiber between my fingers
I only wish this time could linger
For so many ideas run through my mind
If only I could find a little more time!

In and out the needle goes
What shape is next? Maybe toes?
Maybe eyelashes, or a tiny pout….
Alas, evening turns night…time has run out!

Yet tomorrow is another day,
I’ll do my work and then I’ll play!
I’ll sit there in my quiet space
and felt away the day I faced.
~cea~

Thanks so much for inviting me to this blog…I was very pleased to see so many instructions as I am always eager to learn. I can see this site will be a great way for me to advance my beginner skills! Felting is a beautiful hobby. I paint pet portraits, and often they keep me in my art room, away from my family. Felting is something that I can do in solitude or in the presence of my family. I can start and stop at the drop of a hat, I can even take my basket with me while I wait for someone at the doctor’s office. I have hopes of using the pieces that I make to help toward the animals I rescue. It’s a very comforting hobby and I am so glad I have stumbled upon it and the wonderful people I have met through it. Many thanks, Cindy

Yes that right! It is easier! I have some Custom Made Wool Batting that is simply gorgeous!

WHAT IS BATTING?

Batting is made of layers of wool in colors carefully picked. Then the wool is put through a carding machine and the colors are all combed together loosely. You can see the different shades of orange wool that is highlighted with golden silk. There is a brown for the stem and greens for the leaves. I had this batting made of specific colors that I wanted for my pumpkin kits. All of the details are in the batting, so you can make a base pumpkin and then wrap it up in the batting. It is so fancy it looks like you worked on it all day..but you didn’t!

STEP ONE:

MAKE A BASE.

I like the pumpkin that is the Cinderella shape. I felted in a line to make ridges that go around the pumpkin. I use coarse wool for the core and it saves on felting the whole thing out of the more expensive colored wool. The coarse wool felts faster and makes a firm base to felt into.

Make a ball and felt it together with a #36 coarse needle.Whatever size that you start with, after you felt it, it will be about 1/4 of the size, depending on how firmly that you felt it. You may have to add more wool a few times before you end up with the size that you want.

STEP TWO:

Ok , now for the fun stuff!!! Let’s add the color!!

Wrap the base with a piece of the wool batting. Felt it together on the top and bottom. Next felt in some grooves all around. The batting has darker shades of orange that show in the grooves.

STEP THREE:

Make a stem. Take a piece of the tan wool and folded in half before felting.I split the base into 3 pieces to form the base of the stem. Felt into a steam shape with the base unfelted. Felt the bottom over the top of the pumpkin as pictured.

STEP FOUR:

I added a leaf and some mohair curls for tendrils. I put a little of the brownish purple on the bottom.

That’s it! Now you have a little masterpiece pumpkin. Each one is unique!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRY MY NEW NEEDLE FELTING PUMPKIN KIT SEE IT IN MY ETSY STORE. **Just click below. Includes the gorgeous pumpkin batting, 2 felting needles, core wool, tan wool, green wool and BONUS green mohair curls for tendrils!

You may wonder..how do I custom blend wool to get just the right color? Well search no more..you have stopped at the right spot!

HOW TO CUSTOM BLEND YOUR OWN WOOL COLORS!!!

First gather together what you need. I have my 2 file cards from the hardware store, some black alpaca and some fawn alpaca. These were under $10 each which is a lot better than $75 for wool hand carders! I need to make some fur the color of a shepherd with the tan and black mix. Before you start, make sure that your carders are clean. I used a felting needle to carefully pick out the wool, as I had just mixed some white and pink for my chinese crested and I didn’t want either of those colors in the black and tan mix.

STEP ONE:
Lay the black alpaca on the file catching the tips on the teeth of the file. Watch out for the wires! I got poked on one of them! OUCH!!

STEP TWO:

Next I laid a THIN layer of the fawn alpaca on top of the black alpaca. A little goes a long way to blend color in. I always start with a small amount as more can be added if needed.

STEP THREE:

Next you just brush them together. I like to brush away from my body and then towards it to mix it up well. Keep brushing until the colors are blended in the way that you want them to be. brush…. brush…..brush…..

This is pretty much the color that I needed for my dog. There are some lighter areas on the dog, so I can use the lighter areas out of the mix. That’s all there is to it. Total time is about a minute or so. You can now make your own custom colors!!!

These sweet little bears were felted from pure cat fur made by someone who runs a CAT RESCUE. Now that is recycling!!LOL!!

~~~MORE TIPS and QUESTIONS ANSWERED AT~~~

***After you read this post, if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page…..I know, it is a long page, but there are some lovely pictures on the way..At the bottom of this page there are several more “YOUR NEEDLE FELTING QUESTIONS ANSWERED” and also more “NEEDLE FELTING TIP OF THE WEEK” to help you. Just click on the title, and it goes right to the post. Go back after you’ve read it to click on another. Fun right?

I just finished this Needle Felted Yorkie Sculpture of a cute Yorkie named Bebe. She is a Custom Pet Portrait and is fully poseable.

QUESTION:

I just received a needle felted cat as a present. Do you have any advice on how to care for these sculptures?

I am worried that my cuddling will wear out my new darling as I love to touch him! Thank you for your help.

ANSWER:

>>>>>>CARING FOR NEEDLE FELTED ITEMS<<<<<<<

Long coated fur SHOULD NOT be combed or brushed. It is better to use a large needle to gently “comb’ the fur. Trim any strays instead of pulling out.

As you may have guessed, keeping them behind glass is the beat way to protect them. Of course many people don’t have that available.

I have read to use a dampened cloth, blower duster, hair dryer, or tape.

DON”T!

Don’t ever use moisture with them. If you wet the wool then the dust will stick even more to them.
A hairdryer could also blow the dust in deeper than it will blow off.
Tape is a good way to raise a little bit of fuzz, so unless you want a fuzzy look on a formerly smooth coat, I’d avoid tape. It could also pull out fur!
It also won’t reach the dust settled down into the fibers because unlike mohair, which has a backing/base, there is no ‘base’ to needle felted items.

A small vacuum is good to suck the dust off. Before you use it though, it is a good idea to make sure that everything is firmly attached to your sculpture. You can use a full sized vacuum, with a sock or hosiery over the wand head. Hold it on tightly with a rubber band. You can also slide open the side vent on the tube that some vacuums have for dusting drapes so there is less suction.

If you handle your pieces a lot, be sure to wash your hands EVERY time before touching them. The oils in your hands won’t be obvious, but over time will leave a film which will hold dust even firmer. So all in all, it is easier to keep them clean rather than trying to clean them later. Enjoy your new wool sculpture!
~Gerry

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Yes I have had my needle felting blog for almost FIVE years!! Wow does time fly!

I am thanking all of my followers with a chance to win FREE needle felting wool and a FREE felting needle AND a reverse felting needle!! A reverse felting needle is great to pull out a halo of short fibers all around your feltie to make short fur!

Photos show my fluffy alpaca assortment and my gourmet fiber mix to try new felting fibers such as silk, angora bunny and mohair!

I just got an order for my first guinea pig. Not just a regular one but a long coated Abyssinian!! You know, the long silky coated ones with the whirls of fur that are like cow licks? How could I make that fur?

Well. I started with some lovely black mohair as I figured it had enough body to stand up in the whirl patterns….it did but it had a little crimp and wasn’t silky enough so after I had a large area furred I had to pull it all out and start over again!! Bother! Has that ever happened to you?

So then I added some silky fur. Much better!

After hours of inserting tiny tufts of silky fiber all over the body I ended up with a pretty furry guinea pig! I had a hard time blending the fiber to make it look more natural. I hope that they like it. It was a learning experience and YES…even after 6 years of needle felting I am still learning!! LOL!

I was recently asked this question which got me to thinking about the real answer. Actually there are several reasons why I create Custom Pet Portraits. The first and foremost reason is…
I LOVE DOGS!

I have always been drawn to them and as I child I would fearlessly go up to any dog and pet it. People even told me that their dogs were not friendly but they always were with me. As I got older I drew hundreds of pictures of dogs and never missed a dog show…local or televised!

Another reason is that I love to make people happy. I just finished this lovely dog named Casey and this is what her owner said when I sent the photos of her sculpture for her approval.

“When I first opened the email with the photos of my sculpture, I got tears in my eyes. This IS my Casey. The body proportions are perfect (which was difficult because she is part Beagle and part German Shepherd), the coloring is spot-on, and the details are astounding. The tail! The ears! Every time I look at the sculpture, I’m amazed at how well you captured my beloved pet. Casey is now 14 and was diagnosed with malignant melanoma recently, and her hips are failing. I’m preparing myself for the inevitable loss…and this sculpture embodies the real Casey–figuratively, in the way you captured her stance and smile, and literally, because some of Casey’s real fur was used in the sculpture. This is the second sculpture I’ve ordered from you, and I continue to be awed by your talent and artistry. Thank you for this, Gerry!”

I was so happy that she loved her custom sculpture of Casey and it is something that she will always treasure! They are even able to pose to add to the fun! I hope that she will remember the happy times that she had with Casey whenever she sees the sculpture that I made for her. To me this is so satisfying and I am grateful that people love my work! I feel honored that they trust me to create their dog in miniature!! Needle felting is a great creative outlet for me and I always have a dog of sorts (felted) in my house even though no pets are allowed. I ship my dogs all over the world and they all have a piece of my heart! I pour many hours and much love into each one! I do get attached to them and some are hard to give up!!lol! It doesn’t matter what breed they are….I Love them ALL!!

SNIFF SNIFF..WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR NOSES? So many people have asked me that! I don’t buy them….I MAKE THEM MYSELF, AND NOW YOU CAN TOO!!

FREE TIP!
WHAT SIZE NOSE?
Compare the size of your dogs eyes to the size of the nose. Sometimes they are close in size but usually a dogs nose will be larger than the eye. Measure the eye and see how much larger the nose is. Is it 1 1/2 times larger or 2 times larger? Make the nose to that size and it will be just the right size.

STEP ONE: Please go to this link for the tutorial. I decided to sell some of my tutorials as my husband has a rare disease and insurance won’t pay for his medicine. I just finished the tutorial to make your own noses for Needle Felted dogs, wolves, foxes, etc. Here is the link. More Tutorials to come soon!

Here are a couple of my Pet Portrait Sculptures. Jerry a cute little Yorkie is seeking a safe place between English Mastiff Zulu’s mighty legs! Zulu is on her way to Australia and Jerry is going to Mexico. Yes my felted sculptures are all over the world! Someone asked me what I did when I wasn’t creating needle felted dog Portraits. I do love organic gardening even though I wish that I had more time to plant more. Here are some of my herbs and lettuce for some yummy salad!

This is Lemon Balm which is great in salads, ice teas and anything that tastes good with lemon. Also some chives with their lavender edible flowers that make the prettiest pink vinegar

Gorgeous red and green fresh lettuce!

I also love to spin art yarns and knit a little when I have the time. Here is a lovely pure silk shawl that I just finished knitting. There is a lovely lace on the bottom half and it is just large enough to keep your shoulders and upper arms cozy in those cool AC shops.

Here is one of my wild art yarns! A simple stitch creates a work of fiber art! This is called Grapevine.

That would depend on the breed. You could pull it out straight from the side of the body for a layered look or just trim along the bottom. Think what they do at the beauty salon to cut hair. You snip little pieces bit by bit all over the body. It can take about 30 minutes to trim and groom a long coated 4 inch dog. Sometimes if you have felted in too much fur, then you have to pull some out as it is “over furred” Much patience is needed but the end result is worth it. Actually with some breeds it is easier to use the length of fur that you actually want from the beginning. Then you don’t have so much trimming to do at the end. When you fur a sculpture you are actually doing the whole dog twice so much time is involved. Be sure to have sharp scissors for faster clipping. A scissor sharpener is worth the investment and can help you snip once instead of two or three times which can happen when the scissors are dull. I love grooming dogs real or felted. Take a large needle and “comb” as you go. Sometimes you have to add a bit where the fur is too thin.
Happy felting!
~Gerry

I am trying to figure out how to add curls to the poodle I have needle felted. It’s an off white color replica of my brother’s dog (carefully following all your armature and core directions-it’s firm and ready for curls). I can’t find anywhere info on
1) what wool roving/locks to buy and
2) how to attach them without ruining the curls.
You do it beautifully. Could you give me a couple of tips and/or point me in the right direction so I can finish this project? Thanks very much in advance!

Caroline Otto in Utah

Hi Caroline!

Thank you for your question!

Curly wool is fun to use on felted aniamals. I like to use poodle curly fur for the fur on Poodle sculptures. When you felt on curls try to felt the areas in between the curls so they aren’t flattened. I did the fur on this Poodle sculpure ALL with poodle fur. I didn’t mix it with anything else as I didn’t want to disturb the tiny curls in the fur. Just felt in a little at a time. This poodles fur was exceptionally fine so it was a little harder to felt in than wool but the results are worth it! Plus it adds a personal touch to a Pet Portrait!

THANK YOU for all of your great tips! EACH of them is helpful for anyone that wants to improve their needle felting technique!

Here is a tip that I thought could help everyone! And it’s so easy! I have seen some really lovely sculptures with very crooked eyes. Mary’s tip will really help that problem. Congrats to Mary!! She wins her choice of felting wool.

This felting tip is from Mary:

“Hi all, I’m just learning needle felting and having a little trouble getting eyes to line up. I tried using ball-head pins to position the eyes and that works good except when I have to remove pin to attach eye I sometimes lose placement. So I tried this tip: Take a thin strip of contrasting wool and place it on head to “draw” a guideline across face to help get eyes (and ears too) all lined up correctly. Lightly attach the wool line at each end to keep in place with a few pokes of the needle. Make a horizontal line and a vertical line for each eye if that helps. Do not permanently attach this wool line…it’s just a guide. Yank it out to remove it after you have your eyes sewn in (or glued).”

Would you like to win some Free wool of your choice just for a felting tip? Now you can try a new felting fiber for free! The picture shows alpaca which I use the most! It is my favorite for fur as it is soft and fluffy! I also have core wool in different animal colors for faster felting! My core wool is not trash wool and can be used to make any short haired dog as the only wool. I never use merino for the core as that takes too long to felt as it is so fine. The core wool is coarse and felts together in a jiffy! Then I add a layer of fluffy alpaca or curly wool for fun! I also have cute wool curls in different colors.

All you have to do is tell me the best tip that has really helped in your needle felting adventure! Leave the tip in a comment with a wool choice ($10 value) (see link below) The best felting tip that can help the most people is the winner. Winner will be picked on NOVEMBER 1, 2012!

Here are my latest Sculptures! A Bride and Groom Squirrel for Wedding Cake Toppers! I Needle Felted a Sculpture of a Gray Squirrel for the Groom and a rare white squirrel for the Bride. I created each one with a realistic look with a touch of whimsy. Made without patterns or kits. Several days of work and much love went into these Squirrels. This is Charles A. Corn III and Isabella Nutkins…soon to be Mrs. Charles A. Corn lll.
The Groom has a felted rust silk bowtie, and a fiddle head boutonniere. He also has white silk cuffs with tiny acorn cufflinks. The Bride has a beautiful fall bouquet and mini pearl necklace. She has a cute birdcage veil.

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Here is a cute Custom Miniature Black Poodle named Tango. I Love to needle felt poodles and wish that I could keep this one. He was such an adorable model! It is fun to work with tiny curls from baby lambs to make his poodley coat! A cute pink tongue adds to the fun! I tried to capture his happy personality!

Here is my latest..a cute hedgehog named Sweet Pea. I like to create my Sculptures with a realistic look with a touch of whimsy. She is about 3 1/2 inches long. I thought that she looked cute in my spring flowers!

Kim asks: “I’m just starting with Needle Felting and my sister has asked me to make a Snowy Owl…I just don’t know how I’m going to do the little talons. Your posts are very helpful!

ANSWER:

Hi Kim,
Welcome to my blog. Thank you for your kind words. Several ways come to my mind for talons. You could make them out of polyclay like sculpy or fimo. That is how I made the beak and nostrils on my parakeet. I have also seen them made from wire wrapped with embroidery thread. People have also used beeswax for talons. I would use thread wrapped wire myself as I did for the parakeet. Thanks for your question!
Happy Felting!
~Gerry

QUESTION:

I am making a set of angry birds and want to add feet. I like your suggestions above. Could you tell us the best way to attach wire feet wrapped in thread? I have the same question for the polymer clay option. Thanks in advance. I love your fabulous creations and your excellent and informative blog!

ANSWER:

HI Caroline!

Welcome! Thanks for your comment on my bird feet post. When you make the feet and legs you need about 1/4 to 1/2 extra leg wire UNwrapped at the top to stick into the body. I would take a coarse felting needle like a #36 and felt a deep hole where each leg goes in. Place the legs in the hole and see if you have the placement right. Then remove the legs, add glue in the hole or on the wire ends and put the leg back into the hole. I would use hot glue or krazy glue/super glue for fast drying. Then add a little wool and wrap at the top of the leg to make the bird ” thigh”ie drumstick! lol!

The poly clay was for the talons/claws. You could mold them on the wire tips and shape them into claws. Then just cook them on the wire feet as directed. Then wrap the thread on the toes.

I added claws to bears as an after thought and shaped and cooked the claws first. Then I had to needle felt a hole where each claw went in. Then I had to glue them in at the right angle and depth. I then added a little fur at the base of each claw. That whole process took me TWO hours. Definitely a labor of love!!LOL!

Here is my FIRST Needle Felted cat! She is supposed to be a Persian Kitten! Well, I tried!! You have to start somewhere right? I have people who get discouraged because they can’t make the type sculpture that they want with their first few tries. I have been needle felting for over 3 years, and I still struggle with cats ! I am allergic so haven’t been around them much. Because of this. I’m not as familiar with a cat’s anatomy. I have had to study and sketch cats to understand their make up.

This is a good way for everyone to start. Whenever you make a sculpture, try to improve one area as you work. Then when you make your next sculpture you will be able to have that spot looking good. Do this little by little and you will see your advancement! Here is a black and white Tuxedo cat that I made recently. I do still struggle and take much more time on cat sculptures compared to dog sculptures. But I do try to improve an area as much as I can.

This is my FAVORITE Sculpture that I have made so far! This was a Sculpture that I made just for fun and sold on Ebay. I even put him on my business cards! I was sad to see him go. Many hours and much love went into him. He had a piece of my heart!

ANSWER: YES! They do get dull, but there is no formula as to when to replace them! It all depends on the wool that you use, your style of felting, the pad, and time involved. If it seems to take longer to felt than it used to, then it is time for NEW needles. My first felting needle lasted 3 months and I used it all the time. Now I ONLY use DELUXE SUPER DUPER felting needles made by Kay Petal! They are TERRIFIC! They have a nice soft handle to grip so the needle doesn’t dent your finger! You can felt lots longer this way! AND now she has DOUBLES!! Yes two needles in one handle! Great for felting areas TWO times FASTER!

She even color codes them so you always know which is which. The are TOTALLY worth the money and they will spoil you!!LOL! She calls them Super Duper and they DO live up to the name!

I use glass eyes with a loop to sew on. I tried making a hole and fasten them with a few stitches but they keep sticking out. I tried pulling them in the holes and make a knot, they disappear almost in the head then but after a while they pop out again and don’t stay in the holes but on top of the surface, it just doesn’t look good.
What am I doing wrong? Gluing is a bit difficult, as my hands are not very steady and I get the glue mostly everywhere except where it should be….

ANSWER:

I rarely use those kind of eyes. You do have two options:
I would cut the loop off and just glue them on OR you could take an exacto blade and slice a slit in the wool. Be VERY careful that you don’t get cut! Add glue to the loop and stick in in the cut wool. This also works for eyes that have a post attached as in photo. I also use Krazy glue to glue the eyes and noses. It has a little brush in the cap, so it is MUCH easier to use and it takes longer to dry out after you start to use it. The top never gets clogged either. It is a purple liquid that dries clear. You just remove the cap and slide the brush on the lip of the container to take the extra glue off. Apply to the eye and glue quickly to the spot. It dries almost instantly, so you have to put it right in the slit after applying the glue. Be sure to apply the glue to the BACK of the eye only as it does make the glass eyes cloudy which takes away the shine.

I always apply the glue to the back of the eye. If you put the glue on the wool, it soaks right in and you have to put it on a few times to get the wool wet enough to adhere to anything. Then you have to hold whatever you are gluing in place for a minute or so as it takes longer for the saturated wool to dry. I also use the Krazy glue formula that is purple. That way if it accidentally gets some where it shouldn’t be, you can quickly wipe it off as you can see it. The purple does dry clear. Be sure to felt a little hollow to glue the eye into so it isn’t sitting on the surface. I hope this helps!

I just finished a Needle Felted Parakeet! Fun to sculpt something that wasn’t a cat or a dog! Tricky to get wool to look like feathers! This is a sky blue and white pied parakeet. I sculpted the beak and made the feet and legs which took two hours just for those.

I just added a

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Hi Linda,
Actually I do both! But adding the eyes and nose are one of the last things that I do on a sculpture. Until then I mark the eye position with straight pins with black balls on the ends. (See post on eyes) Be careful not to get glue on the eye as it takes away the shine.

It also depends on the breed. You can put all the fur in around the eye, but it is hard to get the eye in without messing up the fur. So I usually add more after the eye is in to touch it up. With a dog with fur hanging over the eyes, I would add the fur after so it would be easier to work on the eyes. Be careful not to get glue all around the eye or you won’t be able to felt any fur close to the eye as it will be rock hard!lol! Learned that the hard way! Be sure to make a hole for a socket. There aren’t many breed with eyes that pop out!

With noses it is hard to add fur after due to glue, so I try to put the fur on and make a indentation for the nose. Then just glue it in. (see post on making noses)

Thank you for your kind words on my blog! When I started needle felting years ago, there wasn’t much help around. It was hard to even find wool for felting or even a book on it!! So I struggled a lot and had to learn things the hard way. I made this blog so people could have more fun needle felting! I guess it is a pay it forward kind of thing!

I finally finished the largest Needle Felted Sculpture that I have ever made. Meet Snowball! She is a beautiful custom Samoyed sculpture that took about a month to make working a little here and there. She is 8 inches tall and 9 inches long! I used Samoyed fur on some of her from the owners pet. It was fun making such a large sculpture as many details can be included! Happy Felting!

I had so much fun creating this cute mini Poodle Sculpture. Her name is Ebony, but she turned gray as we all do!!lol!! It is so much fun felting curls! I made her little chew toy also. I hated giving her up to the owner. Fully poseable.

This is a recent sculpture of a lovely Ragdoll cat named Sheba. It took a few shades of gray and taupe to blend for the right colors. I used merino wool and silk linen blend. Ragdoll cats get their name from their super relaxed attitude which I tried to capture in this sculpture. She was a surprise anniversary gift. Hope that they liked her!

Wow! What a bunch of great tips! It was hard to choose the best! I read them all several times! I tried to pick the one tip that could help Everyone felt better. This is a great tip and really helps to get proportions correct on our sculptures. When people send me pics of their dogs for sculptures, I do the same thing and hold the sculpture up near the picture to check everything. Thanks Jessie!! Please let me know what you would like for wool!!

My tip is place your animal, creation, anything 3d related to a picture drawn to scale. Draw it in black marker, make sure you are as correct with the shape as possible. This helps when filling out the body, legs, head, facial features. You don’t have to draw the details on the drawing just the correct shape so you can place the felted item onto it to see how you are going.

Would you like to win some Free wool of your choice, 2 premium felting needles, and some cute “Hello kitty” noses with washers? ($20 value for all) These felting needles are my favorite by far! They are very comfy with the soft rubber tip so they don’t dig into your fingers! The #38 star is medium with extra barbs on it for fast detailing! The #40 is for fine fiber like merino and it leaves smaller holes in the surface. You’ll love them as I do!

The “Hello Kitty” noses are 6 different sizes!

All you have to do is tell me the best tip that has really helped in your needle felting adventure! Leave the tip in a comment with a wool choice (see link below).

Winner gets all!!

*I will be adding more varieties of wool to choose from. Anyone interested in core wool? I also have that available in all dog colors! My core wool is NOT trash wool! It can be used to make any short haired dog as the only wool.

I’m so excited to be featured in “The Daily Corgi”! My little dogs are Custom Pet Portraits that are miniature replicas of your pet! They are about 3 to 4 inches high and fully poseable to add to the fun! Also shown is a cute custom brooch so you can wear your dog close to your heart always!

Here is the link to the post! Great gifts for Corgi Lovers! Just scroll down the page there about halfway down..

This was on their front page! The picture changes every week. Join now and you may be next!!

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We are a group of friends addicted to needle felting (needlefelting). Whether you are a beginner or seasoned felter we would love to ‘meet’ you. So come and join our supportive, fun and friendly group!

This weeks photo: Another very pretty kitty, this time made by Gerry of Gourmetfelted in USA.

OK, You just found a wonderful deal on raw wool and you have visions of beautiful wool. When you get it in the mail, you open the box and your hearts sinks. Instead of your beautiful wool, you have a grungy mess of gray, brown or tan wads that look like they may be wool? And what is that smell? NO WORRIES! I’ll tell you how to wash it!

People often ask me what is the best way to wash wool. There are many different methods used and after experimenting with lots of them, I’ll tell you what works for me. The above wool is the dirtiest wool that I’ve ever washed. I had to wash it THREE times to get it clean. It is very tricky washing wool because you have to use hot water and as we all know…what happens when your favorite wool sweater gets in hot water??? it SHRINKS..or felts!!! Yes the wool will felt as you wash it unless you are very, very careful!! If this does happen..believe me…it does! DON”T THROW IT AWAY! This wool is perfect for making cores. It is already felted some so you have some of the work done for you already.

HOW DO YOU TELL IF YOU FELTED YOUR WOOL?

If you cannot separate it. The fibers will have interlocked together, and you have to pull REALLY HARD and it doesn’t come apart, or only comes apart a little.

HOW TO PREVENT FELTING?

Never, never, never not even for a few seconds!!! ever AGITATE the wool!! I know, it is very hard not to agitate the wool, especially when it is as dirty as this wool. You just wanted to scrub it and get it clean! RESIST THAT URGE!

HOW TO WASH

Put some soap in the sink..I use the kitchen..and fill it halfway with hot water. put about 4 ounces of wool in the soapy water.Push it under with a tool so you don’t get burned. Yes it does have to be as hot as possible. I use a thick dowel to push it under the water. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, push the wool back down in the water. DO NOT SWISH AROUND! The wool will float, so you do have to push it down. DO NOT LEAVE IT ANY LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES! Wool has lanolin on it and the hot water melts it off. If you leave the wool in the water too long, the water cools off and the lanolin redeposits on the wool, and you have to start all over again!!

HOW TO RINSE

Buzzzz. Times up! NOW WHAT!!! BE CAREFUL!! Let the water out of the sink. Rinse the dirt away from the wool and from under it. Fill the sink back up with hot water. The temperature of the water has to be the same as the wash water , or it will “shock” the wool, and this can felt it also!!!! DO NOT LET THE WATER RUN DIRECTLY ON THE WOOL!! This can also felt it. OK, now how dirty is the rinse water? If it is really dirty, I wash it again. I drain the rinse water first and repeat the first step. Time it again for 30 minutes. Rinse and if the water is only a little dirty, rinse it once more.

SPIN OUT

I love to spin out my wool as it takes so much water out, it then dries very quickly, especially if in the sunshine! I use a mesh bag used for washing hosiery or lingerie. ( I HAVE ONE JUST FOR WOOL! LOL!!) Put your washer on the spin cycle, and spin away. DO NOT WRING OUT OR HANDLE TOO MUCH. NEVER AGITATE IN THE WASHER OR IT WILL BECOME ONE BIG FELTED BALL!!

SOAP

I use Unscented TIDE. Some people use dawn, but it is too smelly for me. Since so many people are sensitive to fragrances, I wouldn’t want anyone to return my wool if it was too perfumey. TIDE gets the grease and dirt out without agitation. (I sound like a laundry commercial!) WOOL WASH products aren’t any good for washing raw wool.

DONE!

I know it sounds complicated, but you basically soak your wool , and rinse your wool. Don’t worry if you felt it. I have felted many batches of wool until I learned how GENTLE that you have to be. Pretend that you are washing raw eggs and if you handle it that gently, you’ll do fine!! AND for your labors, you will have beautiful, fluffy sweet smelling wool. I love washing wool. There is such a dramatic BEFORE and AFTER. If you buy colored wool, you don’t know how pretty it is until you wash it. Of course, you can SKIP all this washing and pay more money for clean wool! At least NOW you know how much work goes into washing wool and how carefully it was done.

ALMOST….

OH, by the way! This washing doesn’t get the VM out! VM is vegetable matter such as hay and grass. Of course, by now, it is very clean hay and grass!! This has all got to be picked out after the wool dries. It does fall out when you are working with it. So this is more work that was done to the beautiful clean wool that you buy.

HAPPY WASHING!!!

IF YOU DON’T FEEL THAT YOU WANT TO BOTHER WITH WASHING YOUR WOOL, PLEASE CHECK MY ETSY SHOP WHERE YOU CAN BUY MY SPOTLESSLY CLEAN FRESH SMELLING WOOL THAT IS ALL READY TO USE. ***JUST CLICK ON THE “WOOL AND FIBER” SECTION ON THE LEFT CONTENTS LIST OF MY SHOP. THANKS!